Gymnastic machine

ABSTRACT

Gymnastic machine ( 1 ) for simulating the skating movement provided with a frame ( 10 ) carrying a load unit ( 20 ), with an exercise station ( 30 ) for performing a training exercise, and with a first functional group ( 31 ) and a second functional group: the first group ( 31 ) being mechanically connected to the load unit ( 20 ) in order to exchange mechanical energy with this latter; the first group ( 31 ) comprising at least a footrest ( 33 ) carried in a rotatable manner and in open chain by the frame ( 10 ); the second functional group ( 60 ) comprising at least a third lever ( 61 ); transmission means ( 70 ) being positioned between the first and second functional groups ( 31 )( 60 ) in order to connect each third lever ( 61 ) to a respective footrest ( 33 ) for performing a training exercise for training the upper limbs in combination with a simulation of the skating movement.

The present invention relates to a gymnastic machine. In particular, thepresent invention relates to a gymnastic machine effectively usable forsimulating the skating movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of gymnastic machines for cardiovascular training there arewell-known gymnastic machines provided with a load group comprising aregulating unit of an electromagnetic nature. Among these machinesstationary bikes, treadmills, steppers and so-called cross trainers,i.e. machines provided with footrests movable along elliptictrajectories, are well-known. In the case of the treadmills, theperformed exercise directly involves also the use of the arms, whichgenerally perform an oscillating movement in a substantially verticalplane, wherein the forearms swing forward and backward accompanying themovement of the lower limbs. In the other cases, movement of the armsmay or may not be provided for but, in any case, for instance instationary bikes and cross trainers, this movement can take placeagainst the resistance of a load group, for example through theinstallation of a pair of levers pivoted to the frame, each of which isprovided with a handgrip, is connected to the load group by means of aplurality of cylindrical turning pairs, and is movable along a planethat is vertical and thus parallel to the plane on which the pedalsmove. A solution of this kind is described in the patent U.S. Pat. No.6,752,744 by the American firm Precor, but can be verified by observingthe machine called “Cross Trainer” of the American firm Ultratrek.

Naturally, the use of the arms in association with the use of the lowerlimbs allows training to be made collectively more efficient from themuscular point of view and allows better distribution of muscle strainbetween the upper part and the lower part of the body, thus allowing anoteworthy increase in the percentage of exercises completed accordingto the provided exercise tables even in conditions of fatigue of one ofthe two articular regions, given that the part suffering the most fromfatigue can be helped by the part with more muscular power.

The movement that can be provided on the simulators is a curvilinearmovement in space, whose radius of curvature changes when there is avariation of each angular position of the lever carrying the respectivefootrest; therefore, cardiovascular training of the so-called “totalbody” type cannot be achieved by modifying the skating simulatorssimilarly to what is known for stationary bikes, steppers and crosstrainers, due to the fact that the types of trajectories are completelydifferent.

In view of the above description, the problem of allowing, in a simplemanner and with limited costs, performance of a movement of the upperlimbs against the resistance of a single load group in skatingsimulators is currently unsolved and represents an interesting challengefor the applicant, in order to facilitate performance of the exercisesand to make these more complete from the point of view of musculardevelopment. In view of the above description, it would be desirable tohave available a gymnastic machine for simulating the skating movementwhich, in addition to enabling to limit and possibly to overcome thetypical drawbacks of the art illustrated above in a simple andcost-effective manner, could define a new standard for training withcombined movements of the parts.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gymnastic machine. In particular, thepresent invention relates to a gymnastic machine effectively usable forsimulating the skating movement.

The object of the present invention is to provide a gymnastic machinethat allows the disadvantages described above to be solved, and which issuitable to satisfy a plurality of requirements that to date have stillnot been addressed, and therefore, suitable to represent a new andoriginal source of economic interest and capable of modifying thecurrent market of gymnastic implements for gymnasiums or for home use.

According to the present invention, a gymnastic machine is provided,whose main characteristics are described in at least one of the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the gymnastic machineaccording to the present invention will be more apparent from thedescription below, set forth with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate at least one non-limiting example ofembodiment, in which identical or corresponding parts of the device areidentified by the same reference numbers. In particular:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective top view of a first preferredembodiment of a gymnastic machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of an alternative version to the one in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a second preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 with parts removed forsake of clarity;

FIG. 5 is a third preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 with parts removed forsake of clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In FIG. 1, number 1 indicates, in its entirety, a gymnastic machine forcardiovascular training, designed in such a way as to allow simulationof the skating movement. In this regard, the machine 1 comprises a frame10 carrying at the front in FIG. 1 a load unit 20 and comprising, at therear in the same figure, an exercise station 30 suitable for performinga training exercise of the “total body” type, which requires bothmovement of the lower limbs and movement of the upper limbs. The machine1 comprises, in the exercise station 30, a first functional group 31mechanically connected to the load unit 20 in order to exchangemechanical energy with this latter. The group 31 comprises a pair offootrests 33, each of which is carried in a rotatable manner and in openchain by the frame 10 along a given curvilinear trajectory by means ofat least one first and one second levers 36 and 37. These levers 36 and37 are pivoted to the frame 10 on axes inclined with respect to thevertical and in a substantially symmetrical manner. The machine 1further comprises a control device 40 for controlling the rotation ofeach footrest 33; this device is suitable to constrain the correspondingfootrest 33 with respect to this corresponding first/second lever 36/37along the given trajectory according to a substantially circularcomposite movement. Each footrest 33 is movable along the trajectory Paccording to a substantially curvilinear composite movement that is theresult of the combination of an inward inclination movement of thefootrest 33, in order to reduce the varus deformity of the knee andfavor stability of the ankle of a user, and a forward rotation of thefootrest 33, with a lowering of a front portion 34 of the footrest 33simultaneously to a raising of a rear portion 35 of the footrest 33, inorder to stabilize the centre of gravity of a training user.

Furthermore, the exercise station 30 comprises a second functional group60 provided with a pair of levers 61, each of which is pivoted at thefront to the frame 10 in correspondence of a substantially horizontalcommon axis 66 by means of a cylindrical pair 67 and, as shall becomemore readily apparent from the description below, is associated with arespective footrest 33. Each lever 61 presents at least a handgrip 62positioned on the upper part in FIG. 1 and a respective free first end64 positioned at the opposite side to the corresponding handgrip 62;therefore, each first end 64 is carried movable with oscillatingmovement by the frame 10 in a plane substantially parallel to the planeM with respect to the axis 66.

The machine 1 further comprises a transmission device 70 suitable todetermine the mechanical connection of each handgrip 62 with therespective footrest 33, and therefore with the same load unit 20, forperforming an exercise for training the upper limbs in combination withan exercise for training the lower limbs actuatable through simulationof the skating movement.

The transmission device 70 comprises a lever 73 for connecting each sideof the machine 1 with respect to the longitudinal median plane M, andeach lever 73 is substantially rectilinear and positioned between thecorresponding footrest 33 and the lever 61 in order to constrain theselatter to be operatable in phase with respect to the frame 10. Thismeans that, in use, when a user actuates a footrest 33 along thedescending path, the corresponding lever 61, positioned at the same sidewith respect to the median plane M, as shown in FIG. 3, or positioned atthe opposite side, as shown in FIG. 1, presents its handgrip 62movable/operatable forward. The levers 61 can be shaped in asubstantially rectilinear manner, as shown in FIG. 3, so that each isconnected with a footrest 33 positioned at the same side with respect tothe median plane M by means of a lever 73 to maintain a foot and a handof the same part of the body of a user constantly in phase with eachother. Otherwise, each lever 73 can be substantially “S”-shaped, asshown in FIG. 2, so that each lever 61 is connected with a footrest 33positioned at the opposite side with respect to the median plane M. Thisallows a foot and a hand of the same part of the body to be maintainedconstantly in phase opposition with each other, i.e. when a leg pushes afootrest 33 backward, the arm positioned at the same side of the bodypulls the corresponding lever 61 backward. Otherwise, in the version ofthe machine 1 shown in FIG. 3, when, in use, a leg pushes the respectivefootrest 33 backward, the lever 61 positioned at the same side of theplane M must be pushed forward, or in any case it oscillates forwardwith the respective handgrip 62, phasing the thrust phases of the rightor, respectively, left leg and arm. In any case, the two levers 61 arecoupled coaxially to each other to the frame 10.

The connection between each footrest 33 and the respective lever 73 ismediated by the respective lever 36/37, to which the lever 73 iseffectively coupled, as shall become more readily apparent from thedescription below, in correspondence of a bracket 38. In this regard, asshown in FIG. 1, each lever 73 is delimited in correspondence ofrespective ends by spherically articulated end portions 75. Thissolution allows stable mechanical coupling of the respective first end64 of the corresponding lever 61 movable along an arc of circumferenceto the respective lever 36/37 movable along the given curvilineartrajectory which develops along three directions in space.

Each lever 73 can present longitudinal extension which is telescopicallyadjustable and can be fixed on a given length, for example by means of atransverse dowel, known and therefore not shown, so as to allowregulation as desired of the starting position of the first ends 64, andtherefore of the position of the limits of the oscillating movement ofeach handgrip 62. This allows different muscle regions of the upperlimbs to be recruited according to the needs of the user.

In view of the above description, operation of the machine 1 describedabove is completely understood and requires no further explanations.However, it may be advisable to specify that by means of the machine 1,and in particular by means of the connection between the first and thesecond functional group 31 and 60 provided through the transmissiondevice 70, it is possible to perform training of the “total body” typeusing only one load unit, i.e. the unit 20, and therefore with verylimited modifications to any skating simulator.

Finally, it is apparent that modifications and variants can be made tothe gymnastic machine 1 described and illustrated herein without howeverdeparting from the protective scope of the present invention.

For example, with particular reference to FIG. 4, a modified version ofthe machine 1 of FIG. 3 is shown, i.e. of the version in which to abackward movement of a footrest 33 there corresponds a forward movementof the handgrip 62 of the lever positioned at the same side of themachine 1 with respect to the plane M. For the sake of convenience, inthe following description the machine 1 is indicated with the number100, and each component already described and illustrated with referenceto the machine 1 will be indicated with a reference number whichgenerally will differ from the one previously used by a multiplicationfactor 10, apart from exceptions made for the sake of clarity of thepresent invention. The machine 100 presents the respective firstfunctional group 310 and the second functional group 600 connected toeach other by means of a transmission device 700, better describedhereafter.

The machine 100 comprises a return mechanism 555 which comprises a shaft557 pivoted to the frame 110 on an axis 114 and carries, keyed, a pairof wheels 556, better described hereafter. It should be noted that theaxis 114, and therefore the shaft 557, is positioned between the pivotaxes of the levers 610 and the footrests 330. The mechanism 555comprises two cranks 558 keyed on the shaft 557 in an end position, eachof which is connected to the respective lever 360 or 370 by means of aconnecting rod 559. Furthermore, a crank 560 is associated with eachcrank 558 in an angularly fixed manner; this crank 560 is carried by theshaft 557 and belongs to the transmission device 700. This latterfurther comprises a pair of further connecting rods 561, each of whichis positioned between the corresponding crank 560 and a lever 610positioned at the same side of the plane M. Each connecting rod 561 iscoupled in an articulated manner to a free end of a corresponding crank560 and to a free end 640 of the corresponding lever 610.

In view of the above description, it is easy to understand that the useof the return mechanism 555 allows the right and the left part of themachine 1 to be connected to each other, and, in particular, to providethis connection in a rigid manner. Furthermore, the presence of thedevice 700 allows connection of the footrests 330 and the levers 610,and thus allows a reduction in the strain necessary to perform thereturn path towards the raised position of the footrests 330, which ismore onerous for less experienced or trained users, or for users who arenot familiar with the skating movement.

With reference to FIG. 4, the machine 100 comprises the load unit 200positioned at the front between the levers 610 below the pivot axes ofthe levers 610 themselves, and comprises an electromagnetic brake 750,carried by the frame 110, in a manner that is known and therefore notillustrated, by means of a shaft 751, positioned at the front incorrespondence of an axis 111 transverse to the median plane M, andoperatable by the footrests 33 by means of a belt transmission 500,which is provided with a driven wheel 510, positioned between the wheels556 and pivoted to the frame 110 on a axis 112 transverse to the plane Mand positioned between the axis 114 and the axis 111. The transmission500 further comprises a spool 520, coaxial to the brake 750, and a belt530 which connects the driven wheel 510 and the spool 520 to each otherin an angularly fixed manner according to a given velocity ratio. A pairof freewheels 540 is provided on the axis 112, and thus coaxially to thedriven wheel 510; these freewheels 540 are carried by the frame 110 in arotatable manner by means of a shaft 511, and each of them is connectedto a respective lever 360 or 370 carrying the footrests 330 by means ofthe two wheels 556, which therefore define the mechanical interfacebetween the return mechanism 555 and the load unit 200, to which thefreewheels 540 belong.

It should be noted that the wheels 556 are connected to the respectivefreewheel 540 by means of a belt 541, and that the two belts 541 aremechanically coupled to the shaft 511 at opposite sides to the drivenwheel 510, in order to transmit twisting movements of the same degree tothe shaft 557, even if acting at opposite sides with respect to thedriven wheel 510. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 4, the belts 541 arewound about the shaft 557, one belt in ring fashion and the other in theshape of an 8.

It should be noted that the two levers 610 are pivoted to the frame bymeans of known turning pairs, which constrain the two levers 610 tooscillate on axes 611 and 612 which cross each other at a pointpositioned at the side of the footrests 330, in such a way that it ispossible to act on these levers 610 acting in a convergent manner andfollowing a scheme, according to which the user's hands approach theplane M as the distance from the user's chest increases, and vice versa.

This allows to respect a physiological aptitude and, therefore, to fullyexploit the thrust action exercised by the arms and their return towardsa rest position. Therefore, the presence in combination of thefreewheels 540 and of the return mechanism 555 allows to mechanicallydecouple the shaft 751 of the brake 750 and the shaft 557 of the cranks558, and thus to combine the possibility of coupling the right and theleft parts of the machine 100 in a rigid manner with the possibility ofvarying at will the stride width; in this way, it is possible to definethe machine 100 as a “variable stride width machine”. Moreover, thisarrangement allows use of the machine 100 to be made truly intuitive andsafe, with the result of increasing the number of prospective users ofthe machine 1 described above.

Moreover, the use of the machine 100 can be further facilitated byproviding the machine 100 with an accumulator device 800 foraccumulating kinetic energy. In FIG. 5 this was obtained by modifyingthe mechanical arrangement of the machine 100 and inserting this device800, actuated by means of a flywheel 800, on the axis of the brake 750.In this third version of the machine 1, the connection between the rightpart and the left part of the machine 100 is provided by means of areturn mechanism 555′ which comprises, for each lever 360 and 370, aconnecting rod 562 which rigidly connects the corresponding lever 610and the flywheel 800 by means of a crank 801 keyed on the shaft 751, andthus coaxial to the brake 750. As shown in this figure, the shaft 557,and the cranks 558, already present in the version of the machine 100shown in FIG. 4, are positioned farther forward than the pivot axes 611and 612 of the levers 610 with respect to the footrests 330. Therefore,the connection between the connecting rods 561 and the free ends 640 ofthe levers 610 is positioned below the flywheel 800, in front of thepivot axes 611 and 612 of the levers 610, whilst in the previousversion, shown in FIG. 4, this connection was positioned at the rear ofthese axes 611 and 612. Furthermore, the connection between the levers360 and 370 is completed in FIG. 5 by means of a mechanical connection565 comprising two rotatable members 590 substantially identical to oneanother, each of which is keyed on the shaft 557 and coupled to therespective lever 360/370 by means of a belt 580. Naturally, each belt580 could be replaced at will with a rigid connection obtained by meansof connecting rods, known and therefore not shown. It should be notedthat each rotatable member 590 can be obtained by means of a cam 590,whose profile can be defined at will, based on the law according towhich it is preferable that the resistance to the movement, or theprogress of the ascending and descending path of the two footrests 330,evolves during performance of the exercise on the machine 100.

In view of the above description, the mechanical connection of thelevers 610 by means of the accumulator device 800 for accumulatingkinetic energy positioned on the axis 111 of the brake 750 doubled bythe rigid connection between the levers 610 established by the returnmechanism 555′ allows to achieve the result of mechanically connectingthe footrests 330 in a rigid manner and of accumulating motion energyduring the descending path of the footrests 330 sufficient to recoverenergy during motion which helps the user during the ascending phase ofthe footrests 330.

It should be specified that in FIG. 5 each footrest 330 is connected bymeans of a belt 580 to a wheel/cam 590 positioned at the opposite sidefrom the median plane M, thus determining an operating condition inwhich, when a footrest 330 is actuated in its descending path, i.e.backward, the respective handgrip 62 is mobile forward. On the otherhand, it is certainly possible to connect a footrest 330 to a wheel/cam590 positioned at the same or at the opposite side of the plane M bymeans of a belt 580, based on the need to determine an operatingcondition in phase or in phase opposition of the footrests 330 and ofthe levers 610 positioned at the same side of the median plane M.

1. A gymnastic machine for simulating the skating movement and providedwith a frame carrying a load unit, with an exercise station forperforming a training exercise and with a first functional groupmechanically connected to the load unit in order to exchange mechanicalenergy with this latter; said first group comprising at least a footrestcarried in a rotatable manner and in open chain by said frame along agiven trajectory by means of at least a first lever; characterised inthat said load unit is one and in that said machine comprises a secondfunctional group positioned in said exercise station and comprising atleast a third lever provided with a handgrip; transmission means beingpositioned between said first and second functional groups in order toconnect each said lever to a said footrest for performing an exercisefor training the upper limbs in combination with a simulation of theskating movement.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, characterised inthat it is functionally symmetrical with respect to a longitudinalmedian plane and in that each said footrest is carried by said firstlever; control means for controlling the rotation of said footrest withrespect to said first lever being provided in order to constrain thecorresponding said footrest along said trajectory according to asubstantially circular composite movement.
 3. A machine according toclaim 2, characterised in that said composite movement is the result ofthe combination of an inward inclination movement of the footrest, inorder to reduce the varus deformity of the knee and to favor stabilityof the ankle, with a forward rotation of the footrest, with a loweringof a front portion of the footrest simultaneously to a raising of a rearportion of the footrest, in order to stabilize the centre of gravity ofa training user.
 4. A machine according to claim 3 claims, characterisedin that said first functional group comprises two footrests and thatsaid second functional group comprises a said third lever for each saidfootrest; said transmission means comprising a fourth connecting leverpositioned between a said footrest and a said third lever in order toconstrain these latter to operate in phase.
 5. A machine according toclaim 4, characterised in that said first levers are pivoted to saidframe in a substantially symmetrical manner.
 6. A machine according toclaim 5, characterised in that the two third levers are pivoted to saidframe on convergent axes, so that the user's hands approach said planeas the distance from the user's chest increases, and vice versa.
 7. Amachine according to claim 6, characterised in that said third leversare shaped in a substantially rectilinear manner in order to beconnected to a footrest positioned at the same side with respect to saidmedian plane by means of a said fourth lever, in such a way as tomaintain a foot and a hand of the same part of the body of a userconstantly in phase with each other.
 8. A machine according to claim 6,characterised in that said third levers are substantially “S”-shaped inorder to be connected to a footrest positioned at the opposite side withrespect to said median plane, in such a way as to maintain a foot and ahand of the same part of the body of a user constantly in phaseopposition with each other.
 9. A machine according to claim 7,characterised in that said third levers are coupled to said frame incorrespondence of a common pivot axis by means of respective cylindricalpairs; each said third lever presenting a respective free first endpositioned at the opposite side to the respective handgrip and movablewith an oscillating movement in a plane that is substantially parallelto said longitudinal median plane with respect to said axis.
 10. Amachine according to claim 9, characterised in that each said fourthlever is delimited by respective end portions spherically articulated insuch a way as to mechanically couple the respective said free first endof the corresponding said third lever, movable along a substantiallycircular trajectory, and a respective said first lever of thecorresponding said footrest, movable along a three-dimensionaltrajectory.
 11. A machine according to claim 10, characterised in thateach said fourth lever presents adjustable longitudinal extension, insuch a way as to make the starting position of said first ends and theposition of the limits of the oscillating movement of each handgripadjustable as desired, in such a way as to recruit different muscleregions of the upper limbs on the basis of the needs of the user.
 12. Amachine according to claim 4, characterised by comprising return meanscarried by said frame suitable to mechanically connect said twofootrests so that to a descending movement of one said footrestcorresponds an ascending movement of the other said footrest, in orderto reduce a strain necessary to perform a return path towards a raisedposition of each of said footrests.
 13. A machine according to claim 12,characterised in that said return means comprises a first shaft pivotedto said frame and rigidly carries at least a mechanical interface forsaid load unit.
 14. A machine according to claim 13, characterised inthat said return means comprise a pair of first cranks rigidly coupledon a first shaft carried in a freely rotatable manner by said frame anda pair of first connecting rods, each of which connects each said firstlever to a corresponding said first crank in order to mechanicallyconnect said footrests in a rigid manner, so as to maintain free, inuse, the width of said descending movement, and thus thrust movement, ofeach footrest.
 15. A machine according to claim 14, characterised inthat said first shaft is positioned between the pivot axes of said thirdlevers and said footrests.
 16. A machine according to claim 15,characterised in that said transmission device comprises a second crankcarried by said first shaft for each said footrest, and a secondconnecting rod to connect a said third lever positioned at the same sidewith respect to said plane and the corresponding said second crank in anarticulated manner.
 17. A machine according to any one of claims 12,characterised in that said load unit is positioned at the front betweensaid third levers below the pivot axes of said third levers andcomprises an electromagnetic brake carried by said frame by means of asecond shaft operatable by the footrests by means of a transmissionprovided with a driven wheel pivoted to the frame; said transmissionfurther comprising a spool coaxial to said brake and a first belt whichconnects said wheel to said spool in an angularly fixed manner accordingto a given velocity ratio; a pair of freewheels being carried by saidframe in a rotatable manner and being connected to each of the firstlevers by means of a pair of said interfaces, in order to mechanicallyconnect said return means and said load unit.
 18. A machine according toclaim 17, characterised in that each said interface comprises a wheelconnected to a respective said freewheel by means of a second belt, andin that a first of said second belts is mechanically coupled to therespective said freewheel in a ring fashion whilst a second of saidsecond belts is mechanically coupled to the respective said freewheel inthe shape of an
 8. 19. A machine according to any one of claims 18,characterised in that said first freewheels are positioned between saidfirst shaft and said second shaft.
 20. A machine according to claim 12,characterised by comprising an accumulator member for accumulatingkinetic energy; said load unit being positioned at the front betweensaid third levers below the pivot axes of the levers and comprising anelectromagnetic brake, carried by said frame by means of a second shaftoperatable by the footrests by means of a transmission; said returnmeans comprising, for each lever, a third connecting rod which rigidlyconnects the corresponding said third lever and said accumulator memberby means of a third crank rigidly coupled to said second shaft in acoaxial manner to said brake.
 21. A machine according to claim 20,characterised in that said return means comprises a third shaft pivotedto the frame and positioned at the opposite side to said footrests withrespect to pivot axes of said levers for each said third lever; a fourthcrank rigidly coupled to said third shaft and a fourth connecting rodpositioned at the front of the pivot axes of said third levers in orderto connect in an articulated manner a said third lever and thecorresponding said fourth crank.
 22. A machine according to claim 21,characterised in that said return means comprises connecting meansprovided with at least a rotatable member rigidly coupled to said thirdshaft and coupled to the respective lever by means of a belttransmission.
 23. A machine according to claim 22, characterised in thatsaid return means comprises connecting means provided with at least arotatable member rigidly coupled to said third shaft and coupled to therespective lever by means of a connecting rod transmission.
 24. Amachine according to claim 23, characterised in that each said membercomprises a cam to condition the resistance to movement or the progressof the ascending and descending path of the two footrests.